


Marching Universe

by littleyoshi



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Marching Band, F/F, F/M, Gayness of the Rocks, Warning: band camp hell, and sock tans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 10:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9177370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleyoshi/pseuds/littleyoshi
Summary: Rose Quartz, a prodigious musician and graduate of Beach City High, finds herself back directing the school's marching band when their previous director mysteriously goes missing. In the meantime, Rose and the other band geeks fight to keep their music program funded and alive, while making sure this year's show is out of this world!





	1. Chapter 1

_“In no other sport are they told to ‘take the field’. You should feel the excitement when you hear those words, because this is the only place where you can make the field you own. Control it. The field is yours, and you have it to tell your story.”_  
  
  
    It had been years since Rose Quartz graduated, but to her, high school seemed like it could have been only yesterday. I mean, in her defense, it’s pretty hard to forget four years of constant torture.

  
        As a young girl, she went through the motions of the same monotonous routine every day. Everyone knew it, everyone followed it. First, you woke up. Then, you walked around like a zombie from class to class, and finally returned home at the end of the day with your energy at an all time low. Everyone endured countless hours of schoolwork and anxiety. It’s what everyone does. It’s all normal,

 _right_?  
    Rose never believed it was _right._ Back then, people would call her things like " _a talented young lady with the will to do the right thing_." She knew it, too; she always had a heightened sense of wrong and right. In the case of school, though, the “wrong” was of course to be expected of everyone across the nation. Still, when she walked down the hallway, she could never shake the sickening feeling that all the individuality of every young soul was being slowly stripped away by the school system.  
Unfortunately, she knew the feeling of having her individuality stripped all too well. Her family was composed of a bunch of sports nutsoes who wanted nothing more than for her to be athletic as well. “ _You are a member of the Quartz family_ ,” they’d say. “ _Now act like it. You know you‘re built for athletics._ ” She was. She knew that she was, but Rose was someone who always did what she wanted to. So she never did.

  
        Even though she knew in her heart that was supposed to be her role, she just wasn’t good at that kind of thing. She was signed up for countless sports camps, but none of them ever made a lasting impact on her. Besides, she just didn’t want to do them. It wasn’t that she wasn’t tough, because she _definitely_ was. Her heart just wasn’t in the right spot.  

  
    The school that she attended, Beach City High School, was rather small. It was a little bit shabby and run down, seemingly not updated at all since the 70s, at least. Though the principal had good intentions, she never did much. In fact, she rather supported the long, uninvolving routine that all of her students seemingly fell into. What is most possibly the worst of all (at least to Rose), she was completely in favor of cutting all funding to Beach City’s music program.

  
    Though it was a tiny school in a rather small town, the music scene was not one to be messed with. While their name wasn’t known for sports or academics, people would hear their name and fear them at invitationals and competitions. They were _killer_ , at the top of the line in all of their endeavors. In the end, it was all possible thanks to Ms. Pink, who had all of the music kids under her wing and worked hard to get them to be their very best.

  
        And Rose Quartz? Against her family’s wishes, she joined band in middle school, at the time very mature for her age and willing to take on a new challenge. At her mentor’s recommendation, she was loaned a french horn from the school that was almost like new. That horn was cherished as Rose was so very enthralled with it, and she was eager to learn how to make lovely music. In fact, it was band that got her through her years of high school- there was nothing that gave her such a feeling that she was doing something for the world. She was making beautiful music, she was Ms. Pink’s star student, she was a part of something bigger. Then, she graduated.      
  
        Now, she was on her own in her third year of college. Due to her interests, she had decided to double-major in both music theory and biology- she wanted to keep in mind her passion for music, and learn more about the planet and all the things that excited her so much. She was so grateful of her life; she loved all of her classes. She had herself a boyfriend, a guy named Greg who played in a rock band, who loved her more than she could ever imagine (and she, of course, returned those feelings). She was tall and beautiful, with long curls of strawberry hair that most of the girls on campus were jealous of.  She was kind. Strong. Lovely. 

  
All in all, life was good for her in a place where she and all the other humans in the campus could be free to do what they want with their lives. She knew she sure was happy in her apartment, practicing her new rose-gold horn every day and playing lovely music. This was the life, definitely. Or, at least, Rose thought things couldn't possibly get better.

It was during the summer that, to Rose's surprise, _things got better._


	2. Back in Action

  It was that summer, the one before her third year in college, when she got the phone call. It happened on a clear day in early July, in the morning with the sun peeking through the windows. The soft piano ringtone rung throughout her apartment, and she reluctantly picked up, despite it being eight o' clock in the morning.

" _Hello, is this Rose Quartz speaking_?" said the voice over the reciever. It was a woman's voice- it sounded eerily familiar, but Rose couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before. 

"Yes", Rose replied, a hint of confusion in her voice.  
" _This is Ms. Diamond speaking, principal of Beach City High._ ". A pause. Oh. That's why. " _We regret to inform you that there has been a last minute resignation from Ms. Pink, the performing arts director-"_

She froze in place, suddenly worried about the outcome, all too late. Ms. Diamond continued still, although Rose missed a couple words. ". _.. reccommendations by some students and Ms. Pink herself. Your name has come up multiple times and we would like you to help keep the music program alive by -"_

"Are you saying you want me to fill her spot? Oh, I'm not even done with school," Rose said, trying to hide the hint of excitement in her voice.  
_"...No,_ " the principal said, strain in her voice. " _We are only looking for someone to assist with directing the marching band for this season only. Your experience working with the band has made Ms. Pink's first choice. Why she would pick someone still in college, I'm not sure, but she made it clear-"_

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. _This was happening, wasn't it_? She had kept in contact with Ms. P. over the years, but nobody could have known that she would be resigning, or why she would. In the past, she had done nothing but protect the music program.

"Yes, I accept!" Rose said enthusiastically into the reciever. She would do anything to keep this music alive within these kids, and to teach them the beauty of playing in band-  
_"Please note that this is only until we have made our final decisions about budget cuts regarding our music programs. This is only a temporary spot-"_  
She was sold, and she was so ready.  
  
  
**REMINDER: BAND CAMP STARTS AUGUST 9!**  
  
There was a piece of paper taped onto the door of Beach City High. A reminder.  
"Thanks for the reminder," grumbled a girl as she walked into the school at 7:15 in the morning. It was forty-five minutes before she was required to be on the field, but early is on time and 'on time' is always late. 

She, like the rest of the students, had of course heard the news of Ms. P.'s sudden resignation. Nobody really seemed to know why she resigned. It was uncertain, but many of her bandmates had speculated that it was because of budget cuts. _What a shame._

The girl was the first one in the band hallway. She was skinny with short, honey-colored hair, and she walked with presence despite the tiny bit of anxiety threatening to surface. Drum majoring was a huge responsibility, but she was more than ready to take it on as a senior. Although she spent her time before this in the color guard instead of playing, she already had an extensive knowledge about instrumental and vocal from years of choir and piano-playing. She thought of herself as 'the most qualified for the job'. 

The band hallway was still dark. It was.. chilling. The only light that spilled in was through the windows. She stood for a moment, taking in the silence, before placing her music in the folder slot decorated with the name "ᴘᴇᴀʀʟ".

Fifteen minutes after she arrived, she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. "Hello!" called out a familiar voice. Her head shot up.  
_No way._

The bearer of the footsteps gasped as she came into view. "Oh, Pearl! It's been so long!" Pearl flushed from embarrassment and got to her feet as quickly as she could to greet Rose.

"You.. you still remember me?" said Pearl, suddenly bashful.  
"Of course!" laughed Rose. "You were my favorite little freshman! How could I forget about you?" She was wearing a white sundress and flats, her curls tied into a low ponytail. Nice.  
"So.. what are you doing here, exactly?" asked the skinnier girl  
"Diamond asked me to fill in as director for a little while," she said, a smile creeping across her face  
Pearl's jaw just dropped instantly. "You.. buh.. buh.. " This sent Rose into a small fit of laughter.  
Students were starting to trickle in now, making noise and talking loudly. Some stood out more than others did, though. Just barely. _Slightly._

_**"HAPPY FIRST DAY OF BAND CAMP, YO!!!**_ " Pots and pans were clanging. Literally. And l _oudly_ , at that. Out from around the corner stumbled two girls- one short and stout, one tall and curvy. Both of them wore gigantic smiles and carried cooking ware for some god forsaken reason. Pearl's palm met her own face. "Amethyst, be quiet."

The taller of the two, the one with the vaguely square afro, adjusted her glasses, fixing her gaze on the tall, curly-haired woman. "Well, if it isn't Rose." Her voice was cool and collected, just like her, although the smile on her face was miles wide. "Been awhile."

"It's so good to see you again, Garnet!"

_"How have you and Greg been?" "What's college like? Where did you go again?" "How has high school been treating you?" "Did you know Pearl is drum major this year?"_ Questions were flinging everywhere.

While the three were having their little pow-wow, the short girl wielding multiple pots and pans cleared her throat. "Anyone wanna introduce me, or what?"

"Amethyst, this is Rose Quartz, an old friend of mine! Oh, we used to hang out all the time! She's going to be helping to direct the band this year! Isn't that _wonderful_?"  
Amethyst rolled her eyes at Pearl but before she could think of where she heard the name before, Rose spoke for her. "Amethyst? Didn't I used to babysit an Amethyst way back in middle school?"

Amethyst gasped. "No WAY, man! That's gotta be where I've heard of you before!'"

Soon, all four were laughing like nothing ever mattered.  
"We should get out on the field," Pearl said eventually. "Rehearsal starts in fifteen minutes! Early is on time!" She singsonged her words and skipped away pretentiously.

_Things had changed so much, but at the same time, nothing had changed at all._

**Author's Note:**

> I've been playing with this idea for quite a long time and I'm really excited now that I've started writing! i'm a bit of a band nerd so writing characters from my favorite show into a high school marching band scene's been really fun so far! :) hope you guys enjoy! personally I've been out of writing for an embarassingly long time, so hopefully it's okay quality. I'm really hoping to get back into the swing of things though ^^;


End file.
